Rangefinder Magazine
January 2005

Focus  
 

Focus
New Products, Upcoming Events and Industry News

Industry News…

Santa Fe Center Announces Singular Image Competition
The Santa Fe Center for Photography invites photographers to participate in the Singular Image competition (formerly Assignment Earth), which recognizes outstanding individual photographs in color and black and white. Steve Simmons, publisher, Camera Arts magazine (color) and Henry Rasmussen, publisher and editor, Black & White magazine (black and white) will judge the contest. Prizes include a complete Hasselblad Xpan II kit and a full-tuition scholarship to the Santa Fe Workshops. Find entry forms at www.santafecenterforphotography.org, by phoning (505) 984-8353, or by emailing sk@santafecenterforphotography.org. Deadline for entries: February 11, 2005. Winners will be notified February 28, 2005.

SanDisk Sponsors Contest
Photoworkshop.com, an online photography learning center, is hosting the SanDisk “Go To Extremes” digital photography contest. The contest, which consists of only one category, “Extremely Creative,” is open to anyone. All entries must be non-published images taken with a digital camera within the last two years. Two entries per person are permitted. The contest will be judged by Walter Iooss Jr., world-renowned sports photographer. Winners will be announced on or before March 10, 2005.

MAC Group Enters Alliance
The MAC Group (www.MACgroupUS.com) has entered an alliance with carrying case manufacturers Tenba (www.TenbaGear.com) and RoadWired (www.RoadWired.com). The three companies will collaborate on product design and manufacturing, marketing, international sales and distribution for the photo imaging industry. Tenba developed the first modern, soft-sided camera bags in 1977, while RoadWired markets carrying cases and accessories for laptop computers and other portable electronics. The MAC group is the exclusive US distributor of Mamiya, Sekonic, Profoto, Monaco by X-Rite, Tenba, PocketWizard, Toyo-View, XtremePower, Cabin and ShootSmarter.

Eventpix.com Offers Folio Web Hosting
Eventpix.com has launched Eventpix Folio (www.eventpix.com/Folio), a web hosting tool for creative professionals seeking a unique interactive edge. The uniqueservice offers galleries, templates, backgrounds and music choices, and storage space for images. Users have the ability to title their site, create and populate pages, upload images and edit galleries. Existing web sites can be integrated into Folio Galleries. Four pricing packages are available: the Starter, $25/month plus $149 set-up fee; Pro Plan, $40/month plus $299 set-up fee; Cantrell Education, $40/month plus a $349 set-up fee; and Premium, $55/month plus a $599 set-up fee.

25th Annual W. Eugene Smith Grant Announced
Stanley Green has received the $30,000 W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography for his project “Chalk Lines: A Photographic Investigation of the Caucasus.” A $5000 Fellowship Grant goes to Kalpesh Lathigra for “Brides of Krishna: Indian Widows.” The grants, presented annually and sponsored by Nikon Inc., are based on a photographer’s past work and proposed project and recognize photographers with a commitment to documenting the human condition. Visit www.smithfund.org/.

Tamron Appoints Allen
Tamron USA, Inc. recently appointed Jeffrey V. Allen of Broomfield, Colorado, to the position of full-time technical representative. Allen, who is responsible for the technical support and education of dealers, consumers and professional photographers who work with Tamron, has worked in photography since 1977 and is experienced in a variety of retail environments, including a photo studio. He is based in the Colorado, but is expected to travel nationwide.

 

 

Product News...

One-off Books Now Available for Weddings or Portfolios
Coffee table book quality albums are now available in the U.S. at breakthrough prices that make single book production affordable. Asukabooks are a unique alternative for wedding albums, parent albums, family history albums, fine art photography, and all photography portfolios. Hard cover and soft cover designs in various sizes and page quantities are available. Bookstore quality printing and binding give an elegant and professional alternative to traditional album and portfolio offerings. The provided Photoshop blank page templates allow for unlimited design flexibility. Upload or send your page designs on CD and the included File Checker software ensures consistent output from the expertly color managed printing and binding facility. Unmatched pricing and fine art quality printing—resembling bookstore art books—set these products apart. The Asukabook is a product of Asukanet in Japan, a highly successful printing and binding company providing over 100,000 books annually to photographers in Japan. Asukabook will officially launch in the U.S. at WPPI in March, but initial orders are already being fulfilled. Represented in the U.S. exclusively by Kevin Kubota. email: info@asuka
book.com. or www.AsukaBook.com.

The World’s First Digital Rangefinder
Epson America Inc. (www.espon.com) is marketing Epson R-D1, the world’s first rangefinder digital camera. The new camera marks a significant milestone by combining the classic feel and precision engineering of a traditional rangefinder camera with the latest digital technology. It’s the first digital camera that accepts Leica L- and M-mount lenses. Designed with a magnesium alloy exterior and aluminum die-cast body, the R-D1 features a 6.1-megapixel APS C-size CCD sensor with a 1.53 magnification factor. Its 3008x2000-pixel resolution easily produces output up to 16x20 inches and larger. It supports RAW file format mode and two JPEG modes, which incorporate PRINT Image Matching II technology for optimal prints. The RD-1 has an EM mount, which is compatible with Leica M-mount lenses and with L-mount lenses through an optional third party adapter. Currently over 200 lenses are available. Among its other features are a rotating 2-inch LCD monitor, manual and aperture-priority AE exposure modes and the ability to accept SD memory cards up to 1GB. The R-D1 has an estimated street price of $2999.

New Supersensitive Sekonic L-558R Dualmaster
The Sekonic (Elmsford, NY, www.sekonic.com) L-558R Dualmaster is the most sensitive multi-function light meter with built-in wireless technology. It offers the advantage of triggering cameras and flash units wirelessly. Fully compatible with PocketWizard Plus Receivers and MultiMAX Transceivers, it also triggers earlier PocketWizard radio systems. The new multi-function light meter reads reflected flash down to f/2 at ISO 100. That’s twice as sensitive as any other multi-function meter in the industry. Its built-in PocketWizard wireless technology eliminates the need for an optional radio module. The L-558R is ready, out of the box, to trigger individual cameras and flash units remotely, without wires, using a 16/24 bit, digitally encoded radio signal.

The new Sekonic includes a built-in retractable Lumisphere and a true one-degree spotmeter. It has a parallax-free viewfinder and in-finder, as well as an illuminated digital display showing apertures in tenths, shutter speeds up to 1⁄8000 second, and exposure compensation values. It has a large, cool-green-illuminated full-information LCD panel, a flash/ambient analyzing mode, and a broad range of custom settings that can be configured for individual needs.

ColorVision Spyder2 and Spyder2PRO Studio
ColorVision Inc., (www.colorvision.com, 800/554-8688) the digital imaging unit of Datacolor, is marketing the new Spyder2 and Spyder2PRO Studio. Bundled with improved colorimeter and monitor calibration software, the new calibration packages use a dual-phase hardware design to guarantee precise calibration and highly accurate ICC profiles for CRT, LCD and laptop displays. Some of the Spyder2 improvements include new light detectors that deliver a five-fold increase in sensitivity, a new filter pack system and a light baffle that increases the accuracy of color measurement. The upgraded monitor calibration software uses gray-balance and tonal-response algorithms to produce superior color images that have smooth gradient steps, more realistic flesh tones, and neutral grays. The Spyder2PRO Studio includes improved white-point correction routines, automated black-and-white luminance adjustments, and improved methodology for loading calibration data at start-up. Spyder2 has a MSRP $189, the Spyder2PRO Studio has a MSRP of $299.

JOBO GIGA Vu PRO
JOBO Fototechnic, Inc. (www.jobodigital.com) recently introduced the GIGA Vu Pro, the latest in its line of portable storage devices. The GIGA Vu PRO has a card slot for CompactFlash I/II cards, Microdrives, and all other flash card types via adapter. It was specifically designed with professional digital photographers in mind.

The GIGA Vu PRO, available in 40- and 60-GB models, offers optimized photo functions and is an ideal solution as a permanent storage system for digital image files. It uses USB 2.0 technology to provide fast transfer rates of image data to printers or to a Mac- or Windows-based computer’s hard drive. A built-in verify function guarantees the transfer of only non-damaged files to the hard disk.

The GIGA Vu PRO has a 4-inch color TFT LCD which displays images in a variety of file formats, including RAW. It also has a TV-out for showing and controlling pictures directly on a TV, and it can be used as a media player for MPEG 4, DivX and MP3 files.

Turbo Power for the Nikon D70 Digital Camera
Quantum Instruments (Garden City, NY, 516/222-6000, www.qtm.com), a manufacturer of long-lasting portable power packs, is marketing the Turbo Compact and Turbo 2x2 power packs for the Nikon D70 digital camera. Both power packs use digital power cords to power the D70 through its DC input; their secondary output is often used to power any of the Qflash digital strobes, the Nikon SB800DX, the SB80DX or compatible flash units.

The Turbo Compact weighs only 16 ounces yet has almost the same power of a standard Turbo. It screws into the socket on the bottom of the D70 and has the required threads for mounting on a tripod. It’s an ideal solution for photographers who don’t want to be tethered to a power pack.

The Quantum Turbo 2x2 is a portable power pack that attaches to a belt or hangs from a shoulder. It has enough storing capacity, on one charge, to power the D70 for an entire day, including the downloading of image into a computer. Both Turbos use Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) technology to deliver concentrated power, quick flash recycling, no memory and long life.

Turbo power packs display their power levels and charging progress on “fuel gauges.” They also have indicators that show when power is delivered to a digital camera or flash.

Why I Do What I Do by David A. Williams
Australia’s David Williams, a highly acclaimed wedding and portrait photographer and teacher, is offering a sit-down session, on DVD, covering many of the tricks of the trade he uses to create fine art imagery of his paying clients. Written in a conversational style and easy to absorb, the DVD is packed with information about everything from composition to lighting. The DVD lists for $75 and can be ordered from the RF Bookstore.

Sinar Announces Improved CaptureShop 5.0 and New Adapters
Sinar’s (www.sinar.ch) latest version of its professional image exposure software, CaptureShop 5.0, delivers significant increases in performance for the company’s line of Sinarback digital backs. The new software features an image browser with a clear overview, fast image manipulation by means of previews, fast shooting frequency, and an open ICC workflow. All registered owners of Sinar equipment can download this MAC OS X-compatible, free program from www.sinarcameras.com/.

New adapters for the Mamiya RZ 67, the Contax 645 AF and the Hasselblad H1 cameras were recently introduced for the TIPA award-winning Sinarback 54 M. The adapter boards permit the use of the actively cooled Sinarback 54 M just like a film cassette. All camera settings are taken over directly, and without additional cables, by the camera contacts on the Sinarback 54 M, the lightest 22-megapixel digital back.

First Solar-powered Jacket That Charges Portable Electronic Devices
SCOTTeVEST Inc., (Ketchum, ID, www.SCOTTeVEST.com), maker of Technology Enabled Clothing, and Global Solar Energy, developer and manufacturer of flexible solar cells, are marketing the first solar-powered jacket designed to carry, connect and charge portable devices.

Global Solar’s PowerFLEX solar panels consist of unique flexible thin-film photovoltaic material made from copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) sun-absorbing material. The panels convert sunlight into the electricity that charges a hidden battery pack, which in turn charges any devices compatible with Universal Serial Bus (USB) chargers.

The solar panels are attached to SCOTTeVEST’s signature jacket, Version Three.0 Finetex, an all-weather jacket with removable sleeves and over 30 hidden pockets. The black jacket features the company’s patent-pending Personal Area Network (PAN), which conceals wires associated with power sources and earbuds. Finetex solar-powered jackets can be ordered for $425 at www. SCOTTeVEST.com or by calling (866) 909-8378.

Bind-It-Photo Creates One-Minute Coffee Table Books
Bind-It-Photo (Hauppauge, NY, 800/645-5510, www.binditphoto.com) offers photographers a quick and easy way of creating coffee table books. Available at photo labs and retail outlets, the service lets customers put their images into an affordable coffee table book as a treasured memento for family and friends.

Bind-It-Photo gives photographers complete control in incorporating inkjet prints, photographs and specialty sheets into a truly memorable keepsake. The entire process takes only one minute, using acid-free, archival-quality materials. Coffee table books can be up to 2 inches thick and up to 12-inch binding lengths, using several different page paper styles, including Adamant Archival Double-Sided, Photo Velvet Double-Sided and Photo Luster Single-Side Paper. Standard page sizes are 8x8 inches, 11x81⁄2 inches and 12x12 inches.